Ford strikes back as Mustang GTD Competition reclaims the Nürburgring record
‘Game on.’ That’s exactly what Ford CEO Jim Farley said after Chevrolet smashed the Mustang GTD’s Nurburgring record with its Corvette ZR1X, which clocked a time of 6 minutes and 49.275 seconds in 2025.
This feels less like the end of a rivalry and more like the opening chapter of many more battles to come. The Green Hell has become the proving ground for Ford and Chevy, two American marques trading blows and smashing each other’s records like nobody’s business.
This time around, Ford returned to the ‘Ring’ to reclaim the title of the fastest American car, and it did. It took the Mustang GTD Competition 6 minutes and 40.835 seconds to lap the 20.8-kilometre track. If you ask, that’s 11 seconds faster than the previous lap record smashed by the regular GTD and more than 8 seconds quicker than the Corvette ZR1X, with, as usual, Ford Performance driver Dirk Müller at the helm.
Speaking of the Mustang GTD Competition, it’s essentially a properly upgraded version of the GTD, which makes use of an evolution of the supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine. Ford won’t say how much, but it’s definitely more than the regular GTD’s 607kW. What we know, though, is that Ford reduced its weight by installing magnesium wheels, carbon bucket seats and lighter dampers. For better airflow, the GTD Competition features an updated rear wing, front dive planes, rear carbon-fibre aero discs for better downforce and newly developed tyres.
Ford has confirmed a road-legal GTD Competition, though numbers will be strictly limited and pricing details remain under wraps, expect it to sit above the regular GTD. Speaking of which, Ford has also reopened the application window for the standard GTD.
Whether Nürburgring records still matter in 2026 is a fair debate. But for the owner standing around a fire, knowing their car holds one? That’s a conversation that never gets old. The ball is now firmly in Chevrolet’s court. The game is on.
